Chapter 056
Author: Feast of Masks
Raws: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3185016
Translated by Gumihou
Proofread by Pill Bug
There was plenty to eat.
Although there were not many kinds of dishes, the portions were generous. There was a pot of Chicken Stewed with Mushrooms, a plate of stir-fried vegetables, a large plate of Twice Cooked Pork, a plate of Dry Fried Tofu, as well as a pot of Egg Drop Soup with Tofu. It was more than enough for all those people.
The staple food of the day was made with two different kinds of grains—sorghum and regular rice, topped with pieces of sweet potatoes. When the lid to the pot was lifted, the sweet fragrance of potatoes struck everyone’s noses almost immediately. It was almost powerful enough to be intoxicating.
The sweet potatoes had been stored in the cellar since the previous year. Sweet potatoes that had been frozen and stored underground could last for half a year without spoiling and tasted sweet, whether stewed or roasted. The sight of the sweet potatoes, oozing with orange-red syrup, was pleasing to the eye.
Zhao’er selected the largest piece and set it in Xue Tingxiang’s bowl.
He had always loved [1] sweet potatoes even as a child. Because of this, Zhao’er would make sure to store plenty of sweet potatoes away and add a few pieces into his meals whenever she cooked rice or porridge for him.
“Eat it quickly while it’s hot. These people will be drinking. Since you don’t drink, eat more,” said Zhao’er.
Xue Hu grinned and said, “Sis Zhao’er, since Uncle Tingxiang doesn’t drink, you must drink for him. According to our ancestral rules, at least one person from each family has to drink.”
Zhao’er looked around and found that what he said was true. For example, only Zhou’shi from the third branch couple was not drinking. Sun’shi was also there with Maodan, Xue Tao’er and Shuanzi, but they were seated away with the women while Xue Qinghuai drank at the table with the ‘boys’. Gao Shen was also seated at the men’s table.
She smiled brilliantly at them and said, “Since neither of us drinks, I think it’s best if we go elsewhere so we don’t disturb your drinking. Still, I want to remind you all that we have work tomorrow, so drink a little less. Otherwise, you may not be able to get up on time.”
“Look at that, doesn’t Sis Zhao’er Sis sound just like a mighty landlord spreading her largess to us meagre farmhands?” Xue Qiang, [1] a man who was as strong as his name implied, interjected with a laugh.
Everyone else laughed, too.
“Well, you can’t leave. Although we are celebrating Brother Sheng’zi’s big day, today is also Uncle Tingxiang’s big day. If the two of you leave, how will this be a feast anymore?”
Jiang Wu stepped out, “Zhao’er is a girl, so it’s fine if she doesn’t want to drink. Tingxiang is not young anymore, so you can’t not drink. There is no man in our village who cannot drink.
At the word ‘man’, the young men seated in a row suddenly straightened up and puffed out their chests.
This was actually quite true. Located in the cold northwest, every villager from Yuqing Village, whether young, old, men or women, could all drink quite a few cups, if only for the warming qualities of alcohol. A sip of wine could instantly warm up the body on a cold winter day.
Because the main grain product was sorghum, sorghum wine became one of the more famous products in the region. Each farming family would brew their own wine and keep it for itself. In short, each family would have a few jars of wine buried in the ground after harvest each year. The boys of this village were raised on their father’s knees and fed drops of wine from the tips of chopsticks, which was how most of them developed a tolerance for alcohol.
It was just as Jiang Wu said, nearly every boy in the village could drink wine. Xue Tingxiang was an exception due to his weak constitution.
“Come now, come now, I’ll pour you a bit. You should drink a little and build up your tolerance,” said Jiang Wu as he set a bowl of alcohol in front of Xue Tingxiang.
Just the mention of wine was enough to get the rest of the boys excited. The rest of the youths cheered and howled, “Brother Jiang Wu is right, you should drink some!”
“If you don’t start drinking now, you can’t marry Zhao’er Sis in the future. How can a groom not drink?”
“He can’t drink, so don’t you bother him. ” Zhao’er was quick to leap up to snatch the bowl of wine away, but was unexpectedly blocked by Jiang Wu.
Jiang Wu grinned at her, “Don’t interfere, Zhao’er. This is a matter between men.”
“That’s right, this is men’s business, so don’t interfere!”
Gao Sheng wanted to hide his face. This group of people had been egged on to cause trouble, and none of them even realised it.
Xue Tingxiang stared into Jiang Wu’s eyes as he pulled Zhao’er down to sit by him. “It’s just some wine, it’s fine.”
“Look, even Ting’zi said so!”
Thus, Zhao’er could only sit down.
Xue Tingxiang also did not shy away from the challenge as he stood up and raised his wine bowl. “Brother Jiang Wu is too courteous; I should be the one to toast you. Back when Zhao’er was running her business alone, she had received a lot of help from you. Therefore, it is only right for me to toast you for your assistance.”
A man and a youth confronted each other over bowls of wine.
Compared to the last time they faced off, the tension was much sharper. The people on the side could feel the barbs flying past them. Though they were unclear about what was going on, it was clear that there was an underlying tension between the two.
Jiang Wu laughed out loud and said, “Then, I shall drink first as a sign of my respect.” With that, he downed the bowl of wine in a few gulps and then shook the empty bowl at Xue Tingxiang.
According to the drinking rules, when someone offered a toast, the person who received this gesture of respect must empty their wine bowl as well, or it would be seen as a sign of disrespect. The way Jiang Wu shook his empty wine bowl at Xue Tingxiang further emphasised this point.
Xue Tingxiang gave him a meaningful look before drinking down his bowl of wine without comment.
“Gou’er!” Zhao’er exclaimed.
Xue Tingxiang wiped the corner of his mouth, set his bowl down and declared, “I’m fine!”
“Excellent drinking pose!” Jiang Wu raised his thumb in praise even as he picked up the wine jar and refilled Xue Tingxiang’s wine bowl.
“You shouldn’t drink anymore!” Zhao’er said as she stared worriedly at her little man’s flushed face.
This was likely his first time drinking. His normally pale face was flushed red as soon as he wine went down. Under the flickering firelight, he looked so red that it was rather alarming.
Jiang Wu casually poured himself a bowl of wine. “What are you talking about? Zhao’er, what you shouldn’t do is underestimate Ting’zi.” He turned to Xue Tingxiang and said, “Since you toasted me earlier, it is my turn now. Have a bite of food before drinking again, so you can drink more later.”
It was clearly a provocation. So, Xue Tingxiang had to finish the wine out of respect before sitting down.
“Have some food to settle your stomach a little,” Zhao’er said as she rushed to place a few pieces of food into his bowl.
Unfortunately, just as he placed the food into his mouth, someone else came to offer a toast. This time, it was one of the younger men and not Jiang Wu.
“Ting’zi, I wish to toast you. This is my first time drinking with a scholar, so I will drain my bowl first as a gesture of respect.” With that, he swallowed down the bowl of wine in one go.
Someone had already filled Xue Tingxiang’s wine bowl again, so he had to swallow down another bowl of wine.
Now that someone had started it, others naturally followed suit. It was part of the village’s drinking culture. Either you don’t drink at all, or you had to drink every toast. Therefore, even though Xue Tingxiang rested between drinks and ate to pad his stomach, he still ended up consuming quite a lot of wine.
In the end, he refused to let others toast him anymore. Instead, he took the initiative to toast others who had yet to drink with him. When he reached Xue Qinghuai, his uncle gave him a concerned look, saying, “Forget about fourth uncle, you should go and eat something.”
Xue Qingbai also refused to let his nephew toast him. Finally, after making his rounds, Xue Tingxiang sat down to eat. From his outward appearance, Xue Tingxiang still looked quite composed, aside from a slightly flushed face and too bright eyes.
The crowd praised his alcohol tolerance, comparing him to his father. Xue Qingsong had been one of the best drinkers back in the day.
Zhao’er forced a stiff smile on her face, “Alright, alright, enough already. No one is allowed to drink with him anymore. This is his first time drinking; it’s not good to overdrink.”
The younger men all chuckled before shifting their focus away to other, more interesting topics. At one point, Jiang Wu stood up and was about to drink with Xue Tingxiang again, but was stopped by Gao Sheng.
“If Brother Jiang Wu wants a drinking companion, I shall drink with you. I do believe this is enough; if you make him drink any more, Sis Zhao’er will explode with anger. If that happens, even I cannot stop it,” Gao Sheng said all this with a smile, as though making a friendly joke.
However, Jiang Wu caught the underlying meaning behind the words and sat down to drink with Gao Sheng instead.
Because of all the drinking and toasting, the food disappeared slowly. By the time they finished, it was completely dark.
Everyone helped to tidy up the place. A few of the young men carried down the borrowed tables and chairs while another held a torch to light the way, and the group made their way back to the village.
“Are you alright, Ting’zi?” Jiang Wu said as he stepped closer, “Want me to take your arm?”
“No need,” Xue Tingxiang pushed [2] Jiang Wu’s hand away and stood firmly in place.
Zhao’er frowned before looking up at Jiang Wu to say, “Brother Jiang Wu, I’ll take care of him. There’s no need for you to bother.”
Jiang Wu gave them an awkward smile before withdrawing his hand. “Then, you two be careful.”
After Jiang Wu had finally turned away, Zhao’er leaned closer to Xue Tingxiang and whispered, “Are you really fine? Just tell me if you are unwell.”
“I’m really fine, let’s just go home.”
“How can you be fine after drinking so much…”
Jiang Wu, who was walking slowly ahead of them, could hear the whispered conversation behind him and hated the fact that he was not drunk.
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Since the third and fourth branch families were with them, there was no need for outsiders to escort the young couple home.
Once they reached the Xue family home, Xue Qinghuai said, “I think Ting’zi had too much to drink. Go and rest early, just call me if you need anything.”
“Yes, Fourth Uncle.”
Zhao’er opened the door to their room and pulled the unusually quiet Xue Tingxiang in. She gave him another concerned look, but when he just stood in place without wavering, she hurried over to light the lamp. When she turned around, she found that he was still standing in the same place.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? If you feel sick, just let everything out.”
He remained in place, still not moving. When Zhao’er tried to pull him towards the bed, he suddenly heaved and threw up all over the floor. The foul substance was mixed with the pungent smell of alcohol, which caused him to retch again and again.
Zhao’er could only support him as he continued to be sick. She said, “Just get it all out, you’ll feel better once it’s all out.”
Once he had stopped, Zhao’er escorted him to the kang bed. She was about to go and fetch water when Zhou’shi entered with a basin of hot water. Zhou’shi said, “I heard Ting’zi vomit. Here, use this to help him wash. I have another pot boiling on the stove. Give him some strong tea later to help sober up.”
“Thank you, Third Aunt.”
“What for?” Zhou’shi said as she set the basin of water down and went to fetch a broom and dustpan to sweep up the mess.
After much effort, Zhao’er finally managed to get Xue Tingxiang out of his outer clothes and shoes. She wiped his face and hands before making him lie down on the kang bed. After that, she brewed tea with the hot water and brought it to him.
“Come, you will feel better after drinking this.”
Xue Tingxiang allowed her to help him take a few sips before slumping back down on the bed. By now, Zhou’shi had finished cleaning up the mess. She said, “He may vomit again later in the middle of the night. I will simmer some porridge in case he gets hungry.”
Just then, Sun’shi entered the room with a small bowl in hand.
“Come now, come now, this stuff is good for hangovers. Your Fourth Uncle tends to drink too much. Place one in his mouth and just let it sit on the tongue. It works better than anything in the world.”
There were a few sour plums in the bowl. These were clearly homemade and emitted a strong, nose-prickling sour smell even from afar.
“The pits had been removed, so there’s no fear of choking. It’s my maternal family recipe, very good for hangovers.”
“Thank you, Third Aunt, Fourth Aunt, sorry for the trouble.”
“What trouble? When you’re done, go and rest. If you need anything, just give us a call.”
After seeing Zhou’shi and Sun’shi off, Zhao’er turned to look at the little man and found him lying on the bed with his eyes closed, as though he had fallen into a deep sleep.
She shook her head helplessly at the miserable sight before moving to pour the basin of dirty water in the garden. Then, she went to the kitchen and filled the basin with hot water to clean herself up.
After having worked at the hillside and cooking for everyone, she was covered in sweat and grime. Normally, Zhao’er would wash up at the washroom in the vegetable garden. However, with her little man so sick and drunk, she dared not go far. Since he had already fallen asleep, she did not hesitate to take off her clothes and start wiping her body down.
Right then, she was dressed in nothing but a thin pair of trousers with only a dudou covering her body. The thin pieces of cloth revealed her smooth, slender back and delicate yet strong waist.
As someone who loved cleanliness, Zhao’er would usually give herself a proper wash. Since she could not do so, she could only wipe herself carefully, starting from her face and arms. After cleaning her upper body, she realised that the water had cooled down and moved to change the water when she noticed that the person on the kang bed had moved, now lying on his side with his eyes wide open.
Zhao’er instinctively snatched a nearby garment to cover herself and asked, “When did you wake up?”
The person on the kang bed did not speak. In fact, now that she was looking at him properly, she noticed that his eyes were blank. After a while, he suddenly turned over to face the wall. Zhao’er breathed a sigh of relief. She thought: This little man must still be drunk and was experiencing some dizziness or something.
Still, it felt a little embarrassing to be caught like that, so after a quick wipe down behind some curtains, she quickly changed into clean clothes and went out to pour away the dirty washing water.
The weather had been getting warmer. Warm enough that Heizi refused to sleep inside the room. Instead, he sprawled just outside the door of their little room. Zhao’er moved past Heizi to the garden with her basin and did not bother to bolt the door since the dog was there to guard the place.
[4] When she returned to the room, she thought about putting out the light but changed her mind when she remembered that her little man might feel sick in the middle of the night. In the end, she just trimmed the wick a little, leaving only a faint glow in the room before getting onto the kang bed.On the bed, she leaned over to look at him again. Xue Tingxiang had his eyes shut again. His body felt warm, but not too hot. Zhao’er was about to withdraw her hand when arms suddenly hugged her around the waist. [4] She was startled, but did not protest. After a while, her little man started muttering something with his eyes still clenched shut.
“What is it?” Zhao’er asked, listening intently.
After a while, she laughed and scolded, “You felt bad, but still want to drink? I tried my best, but couldn’t even stop you!”
He muttered something else again, and Zhao’er had to lean even closer to hear what he was saying.
“…Brother Jiang Wu said that… men must be able to drink. I’m your man… I can’t lose to him…”
Stunned, Zhao’er stared at him with complicated eyes. Then, she reached out to touch her little man’s face, which was still a little pink under the dim light.
“Whether you’re a man or not is up to me, not up to him,” she murmured in a low voice.
Xue Tingxiang did not respond. He still seemed very drunk as he wailed about being sick and clinging to Zhao’er. Zhao’er rubbed his chest before he suddenly turned over and tugged Zhao’er into the covers with him.
After that, there was no movement. Zhao’er tried to get out of his embrace a few times, but failed. Finally, she just gave up and let him cling to her. A short while later, she fell into a dazed sleep.
Later, she found herself woken up by something. A noise?
Zhao’er was unsure what time it was since the light in the room was gone. She also found herself half pressed under a man. The rascal was muttering about being uncomfortable while squirming and turning around over and over, rubbing himself against her body.
“Zhao’er… it’s so unbearable…”
“What’s so unbearable? Are you in pain? Why don’t I make you some porridge, hm?”
He did not respond. His eyes remained shut as he continued to rub his face against her.
“Are you feeling pain anywhere?”
“Why are you so hot?”
Zhao’er tried to sit up, but he pulled her down again.
“It’s so unbearable, Zhao’er.”
“What’s so unbearable?”
“Here, here…” he muttered as he tugged her hand towards a certain place.
Through the fabric, she could feel something hot and hard. She did not realis e what it was at first until he started rubbing her hand against it. For a moment, her mind went blank before she finally understood what she was feeling.
Big! Hard!
Thoughts flooded through Zhao’er’s mind with dawning horror. Her mind was a mess and, for some reason, she suddenly thought of Heizi during his mating season…
Each year, Heizi would become particularly restless at the beginning of summer. Although he usually acted aloof and ignored other village dogs, during this time, he would suddenly become aware of all the female dogs in the village.
At that time, Heizi would often roam outside on his own for a long time, only coming back in the evening. Perplexed, Zhao’er once followed Heizi out to see where he went. That was when she personally witnessed many unimaginable actions done by Heizi.
One such example was his persistence in stalking a female dog. The large yellow dog belonged to a family that did not want it to have puppies, so they kept it locked up in the yard. Heizi would squat in front of this house for a long time, waiting for the yellow dog to come out. Finally, it could not wait and started circling the yard, clearly looking for a way to achieve his goal.
And then…
Zhao’er’s face turned red as she recalled what happened next. Why had she thought about those things? Could her little man be in heat? As she mentally calculated the dates, she realised that Heizi was nearing his mating season, but she had never heard of people going into heat!
Then, for some reason, she thought of the time when she was younger and was sleeping in the inner room with her little man, while Xue Qingsong and Qiu’shi slept in the main room. She was woken up several times by odd noises in the middle of the night…
The low growl of a man’s voice and the sharper tones of a woman in pain wove a rather vague picture in her mind.
At first, she thought that someone was being beaten. The next day, she even asked Qiu’shi about it. Qiu’shi’s face blushed red, and she hissed at her to never ask about it again, saying that it was not something that a young woman should ask about.
The hot feeling under her hand dragged her out of her thoughts. The heat seemed to have expanded, and her little man seemed to be moving in a pattern that made him groan with pleasure instead of discomfort.
The one who was actually in discomfort was Zhao’er. For some reason, her own body felt hot and swollen; there was even a throbbing sensation somewhere…
Finally, Xue Tingxiang fell back to sleep, and Zhao’er allowed herself to relax. She carefully tugged her hands out from between his legs and sat up. She sat in place for a long time, as though in a daze, before finally getting off the kang bed.
It felt like she had just experienced some kind of fever dream.
The basin of water had long since cooled, and everything was quiet. Zhao’er soaked her hands in the cold water before starting to scrub. She rubbed her hands with lye soap and had to wash her hands several times before she finally felt that the heat had been removed from her hands.
That was when she reached up to touch her face. Her face felt hot against her now ice-cold hands.
Zhao’er stood in front of the basin for a long time until the night air made her shiver, and she quickly got back onto the kang bed, but stayed far away from the other person for the rest of the night. Fortunately, the rest of the night passed without anything happening.
The next day, Xue Tingxiang woke up to find that Zhao’er had disappeared from her side of the bed. After asking around, he found that she had gone to town.
Speaking of which, the underwear that Xue Tingxiang changed out that day would be left in the basket for a long time before Zhao’er finally decided to wash it several days later.
[Gumihou: Well, well, well]
[1] Xue Qiang – The ‘Qiang’ here is 强, which carries the meaning of ‘strong, powerful or robust’. Hence, the ‘strong man’ reference [2] It says ‘Zhao’er’, but then Xue Tingxiang accepted ‘Zhao’er’s help in the next line, so it doesn’t make sense. [3] Dudou – also known as ‘bellyband’, it’s basically a square piece of cloth tied at the neck and waist to keep the body warm and preserve modesty [4] Small additional details to ensure smooth text delivery [5] Switched out Mother and Father to names, since that’s how Zhao’er had been referring to them from the start
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